The number of hungry people in Central America has nearly quadrupled over two years. Devastating hurricanes compounded economic shocks caused by COVID-19 leaving millions without an income and many planning to migrate.
Agricultural and coastal communities in the Dry Corridor have borne the brunt of a years-long climate emergency that was exacerbated by hurricanes Eta and Iota last year. They are struggling to meet even their most basic needs.
Â鶹ÊÓƵ calls on the international community to support its efforts in Central America to provide immediate assistance to hard-hit communities and build their resilience.
Hunger in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua has increased almost fourfold over the past two years - from 2.2 million people in 2018 to close to 8 million people in 2021 ¨C a result of the economic crisis caused by COVID-19 and years of extreme climate events. Of this figure, 1.7 million people are in the ¡®Emergency¡¯ category of food insecurity and require urgent food assistance.
As Corona-Virus cases soar, Latin America has become the region most impacted by COVID-19 globally, accounting for over a quarter of the world¡¯s cases. The health pandemic is driving hunger and food insecurity which risks fuelling conflict and political unrest and forcing vulnerable families to migrate. Â鶹ÊÓƵ urgently needs additional funding of US$328 million to support relief and recovery operations in the region.
